A civil society coalition has raised serious concerns over the government’s proposed Protection of the State from Terrorism Act of 2026 (PSTA), noting that it poses serious risks to freedom of expression, privacy and democratic accountability, despite being presented as a reform of the long-criticized Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).
In a media release issued Monday, the Collective for Social Media Declaration said the proposed law largely replicates the core structure of the PTA, which was in force for more than four decades and widely condemned for enabling abuse.
It said the new bill preserves broad executive powers, administrative detention and expansive speech-related offenses under a different name.
The coalition noted that the bill creates parallel criminal jurisdictions with fewer safeguards, rather than relying on ordinary criminal law alongside limited emergency powers. It allows extended arrest and detention, gives the attorney general authority to compel admissions without trial, and empowers the president, senior police officers and the defense secretary to issue proscription orders, curfews and restriction orders with limited judicial oversight.
The group said the law’s stated purpose of protecting the state, rather than civilians, raises concerns that dissent, protest and political disruption could be treated as terrorism. While the bill includes exemptions for protests and industrial action, the coalition said those protections may prove ineffective when read alongside other provisions.
The release highlighted provisions that could affect journalists, activists and social media users. It said the bill’s broad definition of “confidential information” could criminalize online content such as photographs of military checkpoints, images of troop deployments during protests or social media posts noting the presence of intelligence personnel at public events. Tamil civil society groups documenting ongoing militarization were described as being particularly vulnerable.
The coalition also criticized a provision that would criminalize the failure to report information related to terrorism offenses, with penalties of up to seven years in prison. It said the measure could place journalists, lawyers, doctors and religious leaders in conflict with professional ethics, creating a chilling effect on communication and effectively turning civilians into state informants.
Extended detention provisions allowing up to two years of combined remand and detention without charge were described as a mechanism that could be used to silence dissent. The group also warned that surveillance and decryption powers in the bill threaten private digital communication and could undermine secure channels for democratic dialogue.
Special concern was raised over provisions allowing authorities to compel access to encrypted communications. The coalition said such powers assume technical capabilities that do not exist with genuine end-to-end encryption and could expose detainees to coerced access, particularly during periods of military custody before transfer to civilian authorities.
“National security cannot serve as a blank cheque to erode democratic values,” the group said, urging the government to withdraw the bill, consult civil society and affected communities, and draft legislation that meets international human rights standards while addressing legitimate security concerns.
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